Vista 35F Owners

[TerryJ]

Are there any other 2011 Vista 35F owners out there. I would like to compare notes and share info with you.

[lost1]

Here!

[bellsharbor]

OK TerryJ and lost1 --Don't be bashful--how do you like the floor plan and other features of the 35F?

[TerryJ]

Thanks for the replies. I love the floor plan, especially the half bath, but after owning 4 Winnebago MH, I think the build quality on this one is the worst I've seen. Screws are loose, missing or stripped, I had problems with the rear/side camera system, the entrance door was sprung and wouldn't close without a hard push, The AC units suck and don't cool well when outside temps are above 85 degrees, the chassis battery keeps going dead even after a 400mi run, the water lines behind the shower walls came loose and kept banging on the fiberglass and the dealer so far since May has had it about 24 days in total. I've got 7000 mi on it and am ready to get rid of it. Have you folks had any problems like this or is it just me? I'm getting really frustrated. Winnebago Cust Service told me that they have had absolutely no warranty claims on this model to date so that leads me to believe that the dealer isn't reporting these problems. I've been waiting 12 days for parts to fix the door and missed two nice WIT Club outings. Like I first said I love the layout. It's very user friendly and comfortable for the 2 of us and once in a while some grandkids. I put a sewage grinder pump in and that makes life easier. This particular coach has every option on it that is available but,again,I wish the quality of the build was better. I guess we'll see what happens on down the road.

[lost1]

Jeez, I'm almost ashamed to report no, I mean zero, problems that would require dealer service so far. We loved the layout, but hated the couch as a sleeper, so the dealer swapped it out for an electric extender from a Winnie Journey (same color) that was on their lot. It is centered in the slide and I built end cabinets/tables for it. We have swapped the dinette table for one I built that has two fold-up leaves. The raised slide probably makes full use of the table impractical but the leaf on the open side gives us a lot more space. I also have some camera drama with the system being in reverse video and the outside audio going on/off whimsically. It appears to be a control/settings glitch and I have some of it solved. Need to play some more there. The documentation was obviously translated freely from mandarin or written by an idiot. No battery (installed trik-l-start) or AC problems. Plumbing is OK but I don't care for how the half-bath black tank dumps. We believe the secret might be to start with lots more water than normal. Still experimenting there. Might put on a tank flush. My build quality is excellent - no loose trim, misaligned screws, mangled drawers etc. Not too pleased with the driver/pax cab fans. They don't adjust and don't seem to push much air for all their noise. Might replace them. A design flaw is the heater vent in the floor of half bath. It is plastic and right where one foot has got to be if you are at sink/mirror. Plastic has flex, more when warmed by heat air and this causes the sliding cutoff inside the grill to loosen and fall into the vent. Easy enough to fix but over and over. Real irritating. I have got to find a way to fix that one. Lastly I am having the drama with the kwikee slide lock sticking that impacts every coach that has these locks. I have performed both field fixes recommended by the manufacturer. Problem was not solved after first fix and we'll see how that goes. I think Winnebago chose a product with basically poor engineering and a sump in the slide roof is not a real practical step either. Locks are better at the end/side of a slide room and I think those lock models are better engineered. A sensible solution is probably to get rid of the poorly engineered lock, fill the hole in the slide roof, and make a brace/lock for both ends of the slide room. That might happen sooner than later if I get real irritated. I have also installed an Ultra-guard to keep road debris off the CRV that follows us around. Time for a deep breath.

[DAN L]

lowes and home depot sell metal register floor vent covers in many different sizes. they come without mounting holes.

[TerryJ]

lost1, I am going to install a tank rinser this week. I put one in the main tank when I got this unit and should have done both at the same time. I'm glad your Vista is not giving you any problems. Mine must have been built on a Friday or Monday. I called Winnebago Customer Service and was told that they are having trouble with the A/C because our know it all Govt. has changed the type of refrigerant that must be used in the rooftop units. That has caused them to be much less efficient than ones used before 2010. There were times this summer that it never got below 85 degrees inside and at times was 90+ with both A/C units running constantly all day on a 50 amp service. It really made for a miserable trip. I had to changeout my heater vents in my last MH (2007 Sightseer). I actually stepped thru one and finally went to metal vents which I got at Home Depot like DanL just suggested.

[lost1]

Thanks for the tip. I'll likely get a vent cover or two from Home Depot. I wonder about your AC units. We were on a lake shore camp site, near zero shade most of day, in south GA. and the AC cooled fine with mid-90's. Agree it was not a fast cool down but both units blew cold, steady, and eventually threatened to drive us into the heat. Light bulbs, refrigerant, pick something - our uncle sam always knows whats best, just ask!

[TerryJ]

That is one of the problems with my AC. It never shuts off during the day but when the sun goes down it almost manages to hold its own. The AC is bad enough but the whole package is just unbelieveable. This afternoon I opened a couple of storage compartments and the rubber gasket around the opening just started to fall off. Seems like the adhesive wasn't very good. I guess I'm going to fix that myself but this isn't what I bought a new motorhome for. We're going to Fla for 4 months this winter and I'm almost afraid to take this MH. Keep you eye on the storage compartments if you drive thru a heavy rain. I had water in three of mine and had to use a 100% silicone caulk on all the seams and then I sprayed a commercial rubber undercoating over that. They dont leak now but I still haven't gotten the musty smell out of them.

[lost1]

Just back from a week on GA barrier island - Jekyll - temp in the mid to high 90"s, humidity 80% or better each day. AC (both) performed flawlessly. Blaming govt mandated coolant sounds fishy to me - a technique to get you off the phone and hope a year will pass. My compartment seams look good. Sealant oozed out all around seams when fastened together. Plenty of seal there. My gaskets stick to the compartment doors inside when not opened often but show no signs of loosening from the frame. Which tank flush did you install on the 1/2 bath tank?

[TerryJ]

I'm glad that everything worked for you. I don't suppose I could talk you into a trade, could I? I spoke to Winnebago Cust Service yesterday and they told me that as long as the AC problem was on record before my warranty expired that they would take care of it. I sure hope that that's not smoke they're blowing. My compartments had a lot of sealant squeezed out also and I thought that the doors were leaking but once the seams were sealed the leaks stopped.

[lost1]

I am going to reseal all the compartment seams. I have some unused sealant that is going to go bad if I don't apply it anyway.
Which tank flush did you install on the 1/2 bath tank? There is not much clearance beteen the closed compartment door and side of tank.

[TerryJ]

I think it's a good idea to seal the compartments if you have the time and energy. It might prevent some problems down the road. I still haven't put a rinser on the front tank because of the problem of clearance. My dealer said if you don't put them in the middle, especially vertically, they won't work well. He had 5 different kinds and I didn't think any would work. If I find somethin I will let you know. I've been think about making one but I have to do a little research first.

[lost1]

I have sealed, Back hurts, wrist is sore, but sealed. A good flush of the front tank seems to depend on lots of liquid so that the pump over system is effective. Very rare to be at a dump station where incline helps tank drain. Don't need rinse power as much as a way to get water into tank to facilitate pump out. Mostly end up finishing up at home with the bucket system.